Monday, July 19, 2010

Spinning, Quilting, Sweating

Okay, maybe not so much with the sweating today- the weather is much more tolerable than it was a few days ago. But still, it's July, and this is South Dakota, so sweating is pretty much a given.Which means I've been spending lots of sweltering afternoons in the house, doing crafty type things,

like quilting. I am making progress on the 1-yard ABC cheater quilt (original design fabric from Spoonflower). I made a lot quicker progress once I remembered that quilting needles don't break as often as the regular kind. I do enjoy free-form machine quilting, though my curlicues and curves aren't uniform or even very pretty. When I'm not at the sewing machine (or in the swimming pool) I'm

spinning... This is 201 yds of silver Romney

which is actually this color, when not in the bright sunlight. Gorgeous stuff- a little lighter than worsted weight, though it'll probably knit up on size 6 or 7 needles just fine. I have a lot of this silver roving, so I'll be working on this color for awhile. Which is fine, since there is a lot of summer left.

Clarification : All foot measurements in the instructions are to be measured after the heel is finished. Measure the foot flap and gusset heel socks from the gusset edge, and measure the foot for short-row heel socks from the first full round after completing the heel.
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When you come upon instructions that say knit as for, referring you to a different pattern for the next step (for example, to the 40 stitch flap and gusset heel), knit that portion of your heel as you would for the referred pattern. In other words, knit it in the same manner, using the same short-row technique as in the referenced instructions. Knitting "as for" does not mean that you are to use the same number of stitches (which would be impossible, since only the 40 stitch heel uses forty stitches). Work the first two rows of your listed heel instructions, and then continue in the same manner as the 40 stitch flap and gusset heel (in other words, work one more stitch on each row, before doing the decrease and turn), until you have worked across all of the stitches.

Listen to the Knit Picks Podcast Interview

40 minutes of me blathering on and on while Kelly Petkun of Knit Picks asks some very good questions. Twice.

I Heart Felt

About The Free Pattern Downloads

You (individuals, not companies or corporations) may knit as many items from the Freebie Friday patterns (or any other original free patterns posted here) as you like. You may sell those items and make a bazillion dollars doing so. I would rather you didn't repost the pattern pages, or print them to hand out to others. Link to here so people can download their own copies, please. I would also prefer that you not teach the patterns as classes without contacting me first about it. Crediting the design and designer would also be nice.

I would love for people to send me jpgs of items knit from the Freebie patterns. I'll post them if any come in.

About Me

I'm a writer (6 mysteries, one mainstream novel, 5 knitting books, lots of designs and reviews, paper dolls, blather), wife, mother, and grandmother. I knit, I watch TV obsessively while I knit, I spin, I read, I listen to music, and I talk. A lot.